Food for thought

A major food summit in Dublin last week heard how Irish food firms are well poised to exploit ever-growing markets, writes Leanna Byrne.

Arlene Foster, MLA Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment, and Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, at the Future of Food Summit in Dublin. Picture: Maura Hickey

Trying to map out Ireland’s position in the future of the global food market might be biting off more than you can chew.

While Ireland has become a food and agricultural producer of global consequence in the US, Asian and Eastern European markets, the challenges facing Irish food companies are demanding and varied.

A need for increased production has arrived at the same time as a greater emphasis in many markets on higher ...